All violence is connected, we cannot fix one form without healing the violence

Dear Editor,
As we survive the violence in Guyana, we draw attention to community actions to prevent femicide and gender-based violence. We encourage the following community-based actions

1. Evidence based decision making and action
Since the passing of the Domestic Violence Act in 1996, many citizens have worked on community and other actions . and have reported to the Government where the gaps are in dealing with gender-based violence. The Spotlight Initiative produced a series of outputs which are meant to guide the actions of the Government and others in the health, education, social services and justice sector. We call on Government and the United Nations to release all the reports, the accountability scorecards, the research from the Spotlight Initiative so that citizens can use this information. We also call on the Government to establish a national database on the incidents of sexual and gender-based violence which is made available using open data standards.

2. Responsible media coverage
We recognise that different parts of the media adhere voluntarily to the guidelines for writing on gender-based violence. We expect the media to report gender-based violence as it occurs, to question where gaps lay and to hold the State and other duty-bearers accountable.

3. Community mobilisation
Ending femicide, gender-based violence and other forms of violence in Guyana needs community mobilisation to transform our attitudes to violence.   The harmful gender norms which contribute to gender-based and other forms of violence – have to be transformed.

Communities can mobilise to ensure that there are services available and accessible, to organise education campaigns and to monitor how the police and other agencies are responding, and ensuring perpetrators can access healing interventions which prevent them from causing harm. We encourage the continued mobilisation of communities to reduce femicides. We call on the Government to meaningfully engage with all of the organisations who are working to provide important services and public education and to follow the recommendations from citizens in making the changes needed to reduce the violence in Guyana

4. Transforming masculinities
There must be support for positive masculinities which recognise that there is no threat to men in gender equality, and that it is possible to heal from the legacies of violence.

5.  Ongoing Public Education
Ongoing public education must be a priority in the changing of attitudes and beliefs that perpetuate gender inequality and gender- based violence. Impunity of public officials and those in positions of power and influence must be outlawed and all Guyanese, regardless of status, must be held accountable and answerable to the rule of law in incidents and cases of domestic and gender-based violence.

We recognise that all violence is connected, and that we cannot fix one form without healing the violence we have experienced and continue to experience.

Yours truly,
Indigenous Delegation Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
Red Thread
Omattie Madray, ChildLink Inc
Christine Samwaroo, The Breadfruit Collective
Dr Sara Scott, SRHR Adventures
Immaculata Casimero, Wapichan Wiizi Women’s Movement
Jean La Rose
Mark Anthony Rodrigues
Lillian Joseph
Samantha Thomas
Carl Peneux
Medino Abraham
Keisha Benedict
Gloria Duarte
Alicia Slocum
Danuta Radzik
Elizabeth Deane-Hughes
Vanda Radzik
Sonia Noel
Lisa Hubbard
Terry Caesar
Raquel Thomas
Vidyaratha Kissoon